Praline Ice Cream

Just after Christmas my Dad gave me a container of hazelnuts from the tree in his garden, “Apart from eating them as they are we don’t have a way of using them” he said thrusting the container into my hands.

Straight off I thought of making Praline, some to go with chocolates, some to be an ‘added ingredient’ in a crumble topping but mostly in Ice Cream.


After an hour of hot nutcracker action I had around 300 grams of fresh nuts – so much better than the shop bought version which can go rancid during storage – ready for use.

First off they got roasted at 180c until the skins began to peel back. The roasting serves two purposes intensifying the flavour and making skinning them very easy. Once roasted the nuts went onto a clean tea towel and were rolled around until most of the skin had flaked off and golden nuggets of goodness were left.

Mixed with granulated sugar the nuts went on to a low heat in a heavy bottomed saucepan until the sugar melted and turned into caramel. It is important not to stir the pan during caramelisation to avoid re-granulation and to keep an eye on the pan to stop the caramel darkening to much – a dark caramel will taste bitter, not the result you are looking for.

Once all the sugar had melted the pan was shaken a little to ensure that all the nuts were coated and the whole poured onto a Silpat Mat. Baking parchment on a baking tray will achieve the same result and, though some cooks will tell you that this operation should be carried out on top of a marble slab I have never found it necessary

Once cooled the mixture can be peeled off the mat or parchment in one piece and set aside.

Blitz it in a food processor to a dust of your preferred texture and seal in plastic containers.

So, Praline made, it was time to tackle the ice cream.


As a regular visitor to Italy I have a great fondness for Gelato and have made my own for some years. Again it was my Dad who gave me the start with a small ice-cream maker which lasted me about 20 years but which died in the summer. Good though it was ice cream could only be made after the bowl had spent 12 hours in the freezer so to make two flavours was a three day operation.


I took the death of the machine as a sign that I should upgrade to a freezer/churner model, and persuaded Mrs K that she would benefit from nicer textured ice cream and a faster production and that around £250 was only the cost of a decent Magimix. In the end we found an ‘end of season’ bargain, a De Longhi machine reduced from £250 to £70 (barely more than a bowl freezing model).

But I digress.


Some years ago in Dingle I came across Murphys Ice Cream. Two brothers, sons of ex-pat Kerryfolk, left New York to return home and make the best ice cream in the world. This meant using the best cream in the world and none comes better than Kerry Cream – sorry for any offense to residents of Jersey and Guernsey.

Once set up Sean and Kieran opened a small shop in Dingle followed by one in Killarney ( there’s now a Dublin outlet and their ice creams are sold in major retailers and historic buildings too).


It was in Dingle that I first tried their wares and was absolutely blown away by the texture, creaminess and flavour. It may not quite be the best in the world yet (there are many I have still to try) but it is the best ice cream north of Milan!

I could wax lyrical about their sea salt ice cream (made with sea salt distilled by themselves from buckets of water collected in Dingle Bay) the Titanic Banana Split (with chocolate funnels) or the Tasting Plate (several ice creams of your choice and three sauces to mix and match) but this is a serious food blog and gastro-porn is not encouraged.

Luckily the brothers had collected their recipes in the Book of Sweet things which I rapidly purchased and Kieran kindly signed for me.

This is my Ice Cream bible, covering Ice Cream, Gelato, Granite and Sorbets and their accompaniments and is always to hand.

Anyhow, though I do not have Kerry Cream I do have Calon Wen milk, organic, not homogenised and the only milk produced and bottled in Wales, Green Saffron Vanilla and a proper Gelato maker, with home-made Praline this should be a triumph.

Egg yolks and sugar are combined and then milk warmed just to the ‘shivery’ stage is whipped in before being returned to a very low heat and brought up to 73c. The milk is held there for about 3 minutes until the eggs are pasteurised and a silky custard has been made. Heating above 75 degrees will produce sweet scrambled egg so a jam thermometer is a must.

The custard is cooled and the placed in the fridge to come down to 5c and then cream is whipped until it doubles in volume and mixed through before being whipped again. A soft mixture is achieved without the addition of lots of air (the commercial process developed by a research chemist called Margaret Thatcher!) and the whole put into the ice-cream maker and freeze churned for about 20 minutes.

At this point add the Praline, I used 2 dessertspoons, any earlier and it will just sink to the bottom rather than mix through. Churn for another 15 -20 minutes and then put into containers and thus into the freezer. Take out 10 minutes before serving to ensure easy scooping.

So how did it taste?

I asked Mrs K who normally rates things from “Alright” to “Yum”, but on this occasion she remained silent with a beatific smile on her face.

Visit UK Food Bloggers Association

Ireland Again!!

Before setting out on a whole new year of blogging I must tidy up 2011. On the face of it December may not be the most foodie of months – the Christmas and New Year’s bashes apart – but it proved so busy that I really did not have time to deal properly with all that went on.
Right at the start it was a return to Ireland. This of course involved a strange route – well would you have imagined otherwise?

Cwmbran to Aberystwyth may seem an illogical start but when the Saw Doctors are playing there the logic is blinding.

So a hack across Mid Wales and we arrived 15 minutes before the start. Now the lads generate craic and are generous with their time so it was a bit after 11 when they finished.

Back in the car we set off for Pembroke Dock arriving just as the ferry unloaded and 15 minutes later we had squeezed through customs – not before the Border Agency made Janet remove her belt and walk through the metal detector a few times, and made it into the Priority Boarding Lane. By 2:45 we had set sail and arrived in Rosslare before sunrise.

The much improved N25 makes heading west very easy do before 8 we had arrived in Dungarvan for breakfast – and before the parking charges apply! Refuelled on a full Irish it was off to County Cork.

First stop was Ballymaloe Cookery School where I had to deliver Darina Allen some of the Trealy Farm charcuterie that she wanted so much to try.

James had provided a good range of products that impressed and would be demonstrated to students whilst she also said that she must get James over to do a full demo and explain about the developments at Trealy including a day’s course on the farm. Darina hosts the Irish School of Artisan Food and is linked to the UK version so James’ new project naturally excited her.

I also took the opportunity to give Darina some of my Bacon Jam having notice that she had mentioned it as a food trend in the Irish Examiner, I also had to give her the recipe so I presume that she liked it. Certainly the Christmas Card which arrived a couple of weeks later gave that impression.

Of course if you happen to be in the school around lunchtime, and have a connection, you often get invited to lunch! And so it was.

Being week 11 of the Autumn course, the week before exams, the students were turning out some very good food so Janet and I treated ourselves to a meal made all the better by not having to cook it yourself and one cooked with passion and great ingredients. Starters, salad, mains and dessert with three kinds of bread and an outstanding artisan cheese board all had to be tried!

A large lunch threatened to make Dinner a bit of a problem.

We usually manage to eat at Ballymaloe House on a Saturday but a private function meant that on this occasion we would have to do Friday evening instead. An overnight crossing and a big lunch was going to make it a challenge.

But we are made of stern stuff so a mere five course meal was not going to stand in our way.



Friday nights at Ballymaloe House mean that the starters are a buffet. A large table groans under the weight of dishes covering the full range of the plant and animal kingdoms and to enjoy at its best a couple of trips are needed – not gluttony but to separate the fish from the meats.
Smoked Mussels, Smoked Eel, Prawns, Langoustine, Lobster vol au vents and Oeufs Mimosa completed my piscine choices before I moved on to the Pork Terrine and Chicken Liver Pate, the whole accompanied by a range of fresh breads.

I then moved on to the Consommé Julienne, crystal clear beef stock with shreds of vegetable visible through it, like Koi Carp in an ornamental pond.

My main course was Traditional Roast Goose with a potato and apple stuffing accompanied by Scallion Champ, Mushroom A La Crème and a green salad. Portions at Ballymaloe House are medium sized but you are always offered a second helping and, may indeed choose another main course altogether. I declined the offer as tiredness was beginning to set in!

Irish Farmhouse cheeses followed with a fresh Ardsallagh Goat Cheese, Cais Dubh and Milleens making my plate sing with flavour And the Ballymaloe Cream Crackers. These are made with cream and have a crispness and crunch that make you rethink your entire approach to biscuits with cheese. They are also the subject of one of my greatest culinary disasters. Making them in school I put them in an oven at 250 and went off to collect other ingredients from the pantry. A fellow student rushed up and told me that my oven was on fire! Doh!, should have been 150.

That over, we tackled the Dessert Trolley.

A Ballymaloe legend, the trolley will always contain a frozen meringue roulade ( uses up egg whites) and an ice cream but also five or six other desserts, pies, compotes etc. You may (and indeed are encouraged to) try the entire range and the portions are not reduced should you so choose. The key word for the servers is “And..”.

With a bottle of good wine and coffee and petit fours to round off the experience we retired to our hotel shattered but satisfied.

The next day would see some serious sourcing of ingredients……


Visit UK Food Bloggers Association

New Year's Eve!!

Usually I blog about other people, be they producers or chefs, but on this occasion I want to blog about the food that I cook.

New Year’s Eve is the one day of the year when I am allowed to run riot in the kitchen and just have fun. Traditionally, well for the last 15 years or so, this has led to a meal with good friends and as many techniques as I can think of in a balanced menu.

So last evening the company assembled and the madness began. In a meal that will last for about 4 ½ hours several courses are needed and the occasional palate cleanser has to be included to avoid a confusion of taste buds.

The Billini – a mix of sparkling Pinot Rose with Elderflower Cordial and a frozen Cranberry led into some simple canapés, good Olives, Prosciutto wrapped Goats Cheese stuffed fresh Dates, and a few vol au vents.

Then the Starters. My friend Dilys was impressed years ago by a simple Cheese and Tomato dish and demands one every year. There is a limit to the number of ways you can treat two simple ingredients so finding a new dish is a bit of a challenge. This year it was an oven dried Tomato set on a bed of puff pastry with a Parmesan Shaving topping and the warmed dish having a sprinkle of Porcini Dust added to intensify the flavours.

On to the pates. Chicken Liver is a staple of the NYE bash and I have never found a better recipe than the Ballymaloe one, especially when organic Chicken livers are used and the pan deglazed with Armagnac. Smooth, buttery and packed with flavour it is a winner.

Smoked Mackerel pate with Crème Fraiche, Horseradish and Capers gives a bite and the last pate was actually a terrine of Pork and Chicken.

With all the rich ness and smokiness happening a cleanser was needed and a Grapefruit Sorbet did the job. But the acidity of the mix of Pink and White Grapefruit juice was offset by infusing fresh Mint in the syrup to give a background note and an extra layer of flavour.

Soup has always featured and, given by the reaction of diners I could have a future as a Soup Kitchen Magnate. Often it is deemed Best Dish of the night which is annoying as some involve much more technique and effort, but good clear flavours in a comforting course makes this popularity understandable. For 2011 it was a White Onion and Thyme Leaf Soup with home-made Chicken Stock providing the base.

A Cranberry Sorbet followed as a slight digestif before bringing on the Main Course.

I love Roast Rib of Beef so this year it was the star of the show. I think that you need a good sized joint to maximise the flavour so off we went to a very good local butcher who sources much of his meat from a farmer that we know and trust. “Got a big Beef Rib Dan?” we asked. “Sorry they’ve all gone” he replied, “but I will ring round a few friends and we’ll find one.”

That’s what I like about using local shops, if it isn’t in stock they will find it for you, not try to sell you something else, they know that a happy customer is a repeat customer and that what goes round comes round and next time they will get the trade when the regular supplier is out of stock.
So a trip to Pontypool Market produced an 11lb 11oz monster joint that just fitted the roasting tray but took only 3 hours to roast. I allow 15 mins per pound which gives rare in the middle but well-cooked on the outsides for those who like their beef that way.

Roast Root Vegetables, Yorkshire Puddings and Roast and Boiled Potatoes are the natural accompaniments with Broccoli to provide a green vegetable and gravy made from the pan juice.

Following this minor blow out we took a break for a few minutes before heading into dessert territory.

Two desserts the first a variation on Rocky Road but with the addition of Maltesers, Candied Fruit and a White Chocolate Topping satisfied the sweetest of teeth but managed to avoid being sickly. One of our party had to take a large block home with her!

Then the piece de resistance Ice Cream.
Back in the Summer I cooked for friends as a wedding present but had to leave ice cream off my Italian based menu as my ice cream maker had died. In fairness it had lasted about 20 years and was only about £20 when I bought it. It was one of the freeze the bowl for 12 hours models so two sorbets and an ice cream would have been a three day job!. I determined to get a freezer/churner model, even though it would mean about £250 outlay.
As it happened I found an “End Of Season” reduction in a “major electrical retailer” which reduced the price by “Over £180!”. “Over” in this case meant down from £250 to £69.99p – 1p “over” £180! But it was a De Longhi made in Italy the home of Gelato and at that price could not stay on the shelves.

I was excited by the thought of making creamy soft ice cream especially using a recipe by Dingle (Co Kerry) master ice cream Maker Kieran Murphy – check out the Murphy’s of Dingle website – and the freshest vanilla supplied by my old friend Arun Kapil of Green Saffron Spices. The Vanilla pods look like French Beans and are soft and sticky, they are not the dried sticks that we usually have to use and the beans exude an amazing aroma and taste. Surely the combination of great ingredients, marvellous recipe and professional grade equipment would deliver.

It did and massively.

Quite simply this was the best ice cream I have ever made and one which even Kieran would enjoy. The looks on the faces of the other diners confirmed it this was the best ever and a totally fitting finale to a meal which I had enjoyed cooking as much as they had enjoyed eating.

POSTSCRIPT
Having cooked for 15 hours yesterday to ensure an enjoyable eating experience for friends I found myself up at 6 this morning to bake fresh Soda Bread and provide a full breakfast for people who had just 5 hours earlier pronounced themselves “too stuffed full to waddle to bed”. Oh well, must be doing something right!

Thanks to Janet for taking the pictures whilst I merely supplied the food!


Visit UK Food Bloggers Association

Bloggers Unplugged

Recently Hannah at LovetoDineBlog set a challenge to food bloggers. She wanted to know what made us tick, how we started and what we most wanted. In the spirit of the challenge I decided to answer the questionnaire:

What, or who inspired you to start a blog?

Blogging was almost accidental. Having decided to go to Ballymaloe I had so many people asking for updates, that blogging seemed to be the most efficient way of keeping them all up to date. A former student had written that blogging reinforced her learning process and made revision, there are stiff written as well as practical exams, easier. So Bills Ballymaloe Blog was born, and attracted over 10,0000 hits whilst I was there. localandgreat.blogspot the current blog is the follow on.

Who is your foodie inspiration

Years ago a young Darina Allen had an afternoon TV show “Simply Delicious” in which she demonstrated how easy cooking could be, and above all that ‘Cooking Is Fun’. I bought one of her books and began to expand my repertoire, discovering on the way that she was right about the fun and, that I could cook.

Your greasiest, batter-splattered food/drink book is?

It has to be the amazing Ballymaloe Cookery Course which you can often find in The Works for as little as £9.99. This book works as it contains the recipes cooked for over 30 years by nearly 200 students per year. None of @this serves 30 but we’ve reduced it to feed four’ so the ratios are wrong and it won’t work. I have three copies, the obligatory grease spattered one, the signed by Darina version, and a new one that I will replace the first with when it finally falls apart.

Tell us all about the best thing you have ever eaten in another country, where was it, what was it?

I love Italian food and the food of the Amalfi Coast in particular. The small village of Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi, in the hills above Sorrento is home to Don Alfonso1892 a Michelin starred restaurant where Alfonso Jaccarino cooks organic produce from his own farm or the seas immediately below it.
The tasting menu is incredible but my absolute favourite is the Lobster in Tempura batter with a reduced fish sauce. The freshest fish in a light and crispy batter with a deep sauce to accompany, I have it every time!

Another food blogger’s table you’d like to eat at is?

I am often tempted by Carol Adams (corpulent capers) descriptions of her food and share the love of good restaurants that she and Gomez Adams share on Twitter.

What is the one kitchen gadget you would ask Santa for this year (money no object of course)?

Janet would say that I have too many, my four favourite words are Bamix, Magimix, Kenwood and Gaggia but, if money really were no object it would have to be a blast chiller.

Who taught you how to cook?

I was largely self- taught and muddled along nicely for 30 odd years until I went to Ballymaloe where Darina Allen, Rachel Allen and Rory O’Connell honed my skills and taught me so much. So if anyone it was they, and the talented and dedicated team of teachers in school who developed my abilities and passion.


I’m coming to you for dinner. What’s your signature dish?

I make a mean chicken liver pate, learned great tomato sauces in Italy so a pasta main course with locally sourced meats, and a Vanilla Ice Cream with the freshest vanilla pods imaginable from old friend Arun @greensaffron and a Pedro Ximines sherry poured over it.

What is your guilty food pleasure?

Fish Finger Sandwiches on Braces’ XXX Thick white bread, loads of Heinz Ketchup.

Reveal something about yourself that others would be surprised to learn?
I really only got confidence in my cooking after I reached the national finals of Britain’s Best Dish and Ed Baines and John Burton- Race encouraged me to train.

Visit UK Food Bloggers Association

The Bell at Caerleon, Great Gastropub

An unexpected visitor meant a major change of plans, and all for the good.

A knock on the door and my daughter’s partner stood there, calling in as he was passing. Since Sian lives in Hove and we live in Cwmbran “just passing” may seem unlikely, but Adie had been in Carmarthen seeing a client so on his way back he was actually passing.

Problem it’s lunchtime and I had not baked - so not even a sandwich was on offer.

This, however, was an opportunity not a problem. Ever since the Newport Food Festival Supper I had The Bell at Caerleon on my list of places to visit.

The Bell had provided starters and the Scotch Egg with Cider was to die for. “Fancy lunch in a really good pub?” I asked and we decamped for cars and the short drive to Caerleon.

Just out of town The Bell is a real pub in the way that those in the centre cannot be, depending on hordes of office parties and Friday night “revellers”.

The Bell is serious, not just about food but also Beer – CAMRA rate it highly and Cider, an award winning Cider destination. Certainly cider would be on the menu along with food.

Settled quickly and with a pint of Hallets cider (6%) and brewed in Crumlin, I perused the menu.

The Bell offers lunch for only £9.95, two courses, and believe me choosing was hard so much good food on offer.

It had to be the Scotch Egg as a starter as it had so impressed me at NFF and I had recommended it to our visitor. A Gwynt y Ddraig Cider infused sausage meat, cooked to soft perfection in a crispy breadcrumb coating and a perfectly runny egg served with a little salad, bruschetta and a home-made salad cream, what’s not to like. Really good said Adie, the best I’ve ever had.

Janet didn't repeat her NFF experience where she had the Field Mushroom and Blue Cheese Salad but went with the chargrilled goat cheese and vegetable gateaux, served with three sauces (Balsmic Glaze, Basil Oil and Red Pepper Coulis) declaring it YUM (her highest accolade).

We all chose different main courses, and given the menu we could have chosen several times over.

Adie went for the Gammon with fried egg, Janet for the Rump Steak Ciabatta with Caramelised onions and for me it was Sausage of the day with Mash.
A good sized horseshoe of gammon topped with an orange yolked egg and chips was rated highly by Adie who announced that he would certainly eat here again and would also recommend The Bell to people who were in or visiting the Newport or Cardiff areas.

Janet’s rump steak cooked perfectly rare and served with a small salad and chips was equally well received and, at her insistence, I tried one of the chips. A crisp light golden exterior hid a fluffy floury interior which matched any chip I have ever eaten and made me wish that there was a Sausage and Chips option on the menu.

Three sausages on a bed of mash with carrots and beans on the side awaited me. I like the idea of Sausage of the Day, it implies a range of sausages will be used and that the same dish will vary each time you eat it. That has to be good.


Mine were quite coarse in texture with a good herby background and obviously “real butcher” sausages not the bland euro-snag that all too often appears. They matched the creamy mash well and the little onion gravy set the dish off

.
As it was lunchtime not too much alcohol was consumed, my Hallets was the only one but it went very well with both courses and is certainly a pint that I will try again. Hallets only make two ciders, the other being their Vintage which is aged a year before bottling. That has to be my next port of call.

So to sum up the Bell: Quite rightly described as a Gastropub, a good range of real ales and ciders on offer, pleasant surroundings and a menu that is seasonal and local, simple and well cooked.

Will I be back, you betcha and –with the amazing lunchtime deal - it might just have to be lunch again until the entre menu has been sampled.

Finally a recipe for Salad Cream.
Most pubs/restaurants serve mayonnaise or the ubiquitous Heinz so it was a real treat to find that the Bell made its own Salad Cream. Here is the recipe for Shanagarry Salad Dressing which we made at Ballymaloe:
Ingredients:
2 eggs (free range if possible)
1 tablespoon of dark, soft brown sugar
a pinch of salt
1 level teaspoon of dry mustard
1 tablespoon brown malt vinegar
2 to 4 fluid ounces of cream
Method:
Boil the eggs for 7 minutes then cool in cold water before shelling.
Cut the two eggs in half and sieve the yolks into a bowl.

Add the sugar, a pinch of salt and the mustard. Blend in the vinegar and cream. Chop the egg whites finely and add some to the sauce. (any spare whites can be used to sprinkle over salads as a garnish.)

Visit UK Food Bloggers Association

Cooperation in Abergavenny

It’s always good to see cooperation in food, small producers are not engaged in the ultra- competitive wars of the big supermarkets, they are not responsible to shareholders and have a love of the product not a commitment to profit. Of course without profit they would not remain in business but artisan production is a calling not a means to global brand domination.

So I was very pleased to be told of a small event hosted by Sugarloaf Catering at their base in Abergavenny. Just a few local producers, getting together to show, and sell their wares. The degree of cooperation showed there was extremely impressive, each was incorporating each others produce in their own offerings.

Sugarloaf is owned by Mark & Claire Coulton and has traded since March 2005. Mark has over 20 years experience as a chef and met Claire in the early 1990's while working for Franco Taruschio at the celebrated Walnut Tree Inn. So a good local connection there for a start and an indication of the quality of the food that they make.

Their food philosophy is encouraging “We support the local economy where possible so if we can't buy a product from a local producer we will buy it from an independent local retailer” said Mark.

In addition to catering for functions and events Sugarloaf make ready meals of quality for people who want to eat well but are pushed for time through their Chef in a Freezer function. Certainly the Smoked Haddock Fishcake – made with Black Mountain Smokery’s fish, was extremely good and the Roast Salmon variety is an award winner.

They also run Supper Clubs with a themed basis and I am looking forward to the next on with a Murder Mystery theme to be held in the newly refurbished Old Sessions House in Usk. Is there a better setting for a murder theme than an old court house?

So, mulled Apple Juice in hand I headed into the main hall.

Immediately I met Roisin from Burren Bakery. I had enjoyed her Porter Cake at the Abergavenny Farmers Market and was keen to renew my acquaintance with it, as was Mrs K who had lost out last time. The cake uses Stout made by Tudor Brewery who were on the next stall.

Tudor is very much a family business, a microbrewery set up in Abergavenny, continuing a century old tradition of local beer making. The Tudor name is taken from Tudor Gate, the medieval town entrance.

The beers are all named after local mountains, Sugarloaf, Skirrid and Blorenge with each bottle having a silhouette of the mountain on the label.
Sugarloaf is a dark beer with a smokey base whilst Skirrid is a medium strength (4.2%) session beer. Blorenge is lager like but with a citrus taste that makes it clear that it is a pale beer and definitely not a lager.

Black Mountain is the stout used in the Porter Cake and a very good drop it is. Taste wise somewhere between Guinness and Beamish, not as metallic as a Guinness and with some of the flowery hint in a Beamish. I had to sample all of the beers and bought a pack of the Black Mountain for both culinary and drinking purposes. Again there is a silhouette of mountains on the label but, as we approach Christmas, a small Santa and Sleigh can be seen flying over the mountains.

I carried my last drops of Blorenge to Nicholas Snell’s stall. Nicholas is a Private Chef who also acts as a Master of Ceremonies and Professional Butler, so get Sugarloaf Catering to provide for your event and Nicholas to manage it, stress free!!

Nicholas had a small selection for tasting some rather fine Vanilla Shortbread, in which the vanilla was subtle and the thin, crispy crumbly shortbread melted in the mouth.

He had also made some Cheese biscuits, again crumbly and with a good cheesiness, certainly Cheddar and Parmesan featured though other ingredients remained a secret despite rigorous questioning!
These were teamed with cheeses and both Roisin’s Soda Bread and Usk River’s pickles. Clearly Nicholas can partner food which suggests a very professional approach.

Rhian from Usk River had a full range of pickles for sale including the award winning Pearlilli my current favourite. Deciding that a serious pickle tasting was in order I managed to test them with biscuits, Soda Bread and some hastily snaffled fishcakes. I can report that they went well and the Tomatorama came close to usurping Pearlilli in my affections.

Held the day after the Royal Welsh Christmas show the get together suffered slightly as some of the intended exhibitors had sold out of product in Builth Wells and were unable to attend, though those on show were very good and a number of purchases were made by visitors.

It is really pleasing to see producers actively cooperating and supporting each other, with initiatives such as these the local food scene can only strengthen.

If you missed out make sure you get to the Abergavenny Christmas Fair on 11th December where most will be exhibiting along with the cream of artisan producers.


Visit UK Food Bloggers Association